We're Going to Indiana!

Sweet hubby and I are leaving  out earrrrrrrrly in the morning (at least that's his plan), and traveling up to Indiana to see our girl and her hubby and their new home! I'm returning Sunbonnet Sue to her rightful owner.  My mother made it for Heather when she was a little girl.

Hope everyone has a great weekend! I'll see ya'll when we get back.

This post is linked to:  Show and Tell Friday

Welcome to My Mom Cave

Wanting to make a little girly space just for me in a house full of guys, I took over our retired homeschool classroom and turned it into my very own Mom Cave.

It is now the place where I can let my inner child loose.  She can play with her paints...

...and sit at her piano for hours playing for the pure pleasure of it.

It's a place for girly hobbies; sewing, crocheting, crafting...

 

...reading, dreaming, or just curling up in front of a warm fire on a cool day.

It's the place where I belong.  My nest.  My little corner of the world.

This is a participating post in the "Mom Cave" link party at:



Post also linked to:

Strut Your Stuff Thursday

Transformation Thursdays

Show Off Your Stuff

"Finish Up My Projects Week"

I did it!  I finished every project on my To-Do or my To-Finish list this week!  I finished up the week by making my winter's supply of apple-cinnamon jelly.  It's my favorite jelly to go with my buttery morning toast.  You can visit this archived post if you'd like full instructions for making your own fantastically yummy jelly.

After whining in this post about not being able to find the perfect brown skirt anywhere, I pulled out the ole cutting board and whacked my own out of the brown thrifted corduroy I mentioned.  I can make it just the way I want.

I'm so happy with the resulting skirt that I'm wearing it to the football game sweet hubby and I are attending this afternoon with our son at his college (which happens to be only about 10 minutes from our home).  



I decided the skirt was a little plain when made right by the pattern so I added a center front seam and my own back pocket design.  

You can't see the shoes I'm wearing, but they are my new favorites.  I ordered them from here and I'm loving them for fall!  They are so comfy and go with all my fall skirts.  I've never had real Italian shoes before! Hey, a girl's got to splurge some time.  Just think of all that money I saved by making my own skirt!

So, that's the big finale for my "Finish Up My Projects Week."  Thank you for joining me this week.  I appreciate every visit and every comment.  Now, I'm going out to enjoy this perfect fall weekend!

This post is linked to:  Show Off Your Stuff

How do you eat an elephant?

One bite at a time.

And how do you paint a bedroom? Two walls at a time.

At least that's the way I painted my bedroom. Sweet hubby pulled the furniture away from two walls early in the morning before he left for work and I painted those two walls, including the trim, and had the furniture back in place by the time he got home that afternoon. The next morning we pulled the furniture away from the other two walls and I finished painting the room, slid the furniture back in place, and rehung the curtains by the time he got home from work.  

Oops, who is that tired looking lady trapped inside the looking glass?  Speaking of the looking glass...

   

....I also painted the mirror. I changed it from its shiny gold to this creamy ivory and highlighted the details with my beloved gold Rub 'n Buff which I described in my last post..

 

 

Mirror's details.

 





My little green bedside table.

Our beautiful new white ceiling fan was our only splurge for our bedroom makeover.  I ordered it from CSNstores.com and got it in only two days!  And that was with their free shipping!  

I love the peaceful feel of our "new" room.  It's such a special place to rest after a busy day.

Tomorrow ends my "Finish Up My Projects Week." Think I'll get them all finished? Come back by and find out.

Post linked to:  Show and Tell Friday

My Project of the Day

I found this 80's plastic framed mirror at the thrift store Saturday.  I loved its detail and could just picture it repainted and hanging on my foyer wall.  So I paid the $4.99 minus the 15% discount and happily carted it away.  I stopped by Wal Mart on my way home for some Krylon Ivory spray paint..

After taping up the mirror real well (or so I thought), I gave her two coats of paint and  let it dry for several hours.  Overnight would be even better. 

Then I used what must be the best kept secret of do-it-yourselfers, Rub 'n Buff.  I bought it at Hobby Lobby.  I love the rich looking results I get and it is so easy to use! You just rub it on with your finger and then buff it with a soft cloth.  The more you buff it, the shinier it will be. I used it on this mirror makeover too.

Before Rub 'n Buff

After

Before Rub 'n Buff

After

She now hangs ever so proudly on my foyer wall.

Don't forget to come back tomorrow as I continue my "Finish Up My Projects Week."

This post linked to: 

Made by You Mondays

 Transformation Thursdays

 Tools are for Women Too

 Show and Tell Friday

 Frugal Friday

Cranking out the Projects

I am very satisfied with the first day of   "Finish Up My Projects Week."  Here's some pictures:

I found what I thought was the perfect mirror at Kirklands.  But after my husband and son struggled to hang the over 6' long, very heavy, black thing, it overpowered the dining room.  So....



 Before



 ...the next day, I got one of my S-T-R-O-N-G guys to haul it outside and put it on our somewhat rickety old sawhorses where I immediately got to work with taping, sanding and painting.  I gave it two coats of the same paint I used for my hamper makeover.

 Then I added some shiny gold to the beadwork.

And to add a splash of color to the room I rolled out my newly finished table runner.  I bet you forgot about that project that I started way back here didn't you?





I like the room so much better now.  The huge mirror frame kind of recedes into the wall letting the beauty of the reflections shine through.  



After



Don't forget to leave me a comment,  I'd love to hear some girly thoughts. Now I'm off to finish up more projects while I'm on a roll! 

I Didn't Get the Memo!

My sweet hubby and I spent Saturday hunting me a new fall skirt.  When did A-line skirts go out of style?  Nobody told me! We went to every clothing store and thrift store in the nearest large city trying to find a simple brown A-line skirt for me.  Nothing, Na-da.  I came home, went on-line, sure that I would find what I wanted there.  I want one just like the black one that I have.  It's from The Limited originally.  I got it from a thrift store five years ago for a dollar.  Anyway, I want that in brown.  Simple.  I'll just go to The Limited website, pick it out, pay the fortune they want for it and have it sent on it's merry way to my home.  More disappointment.  They only have two styles of skirts to choose from; mini or pencil. Uh-uh, I don't think so. 

I'll just fall back on my own resources as a last resort.  I go to Hobby Lobby thinking I'll find a piece of brown fabric exactly like that black skirt of mine and make my own.  Nope, there is no polyester/viscose/spandex brown fabric to be found in the one and only fabric store within 50 miles of me.  Well, I did find that soft piece of brown corduroy fabric while at the thrift store.  So I'll pull out one of my ~evidently out-of-style~ A-line skirt patterns and at least make myself a brown skirt for casual wear.

(Most likely I'll use my old tried-and-true, made-to-fit, Simplicity A-line skirt pattern that I've made all my other skirts from.)
Meanwhile, I'll stay on the lookout for that perfect piece of fabric.

I've given this week a theme: "Finish Up My Projects Week."  I hope to have lots of finished projects, complete with pictures to share with you!  Wish me luck and let me know what you're up to.

I Need a Little Help From My Friends

First I'll show a little corner of my dresser top.  Since I haven't quite convinced Sweet Hubby to let me paint our bedroom furniture yet, I'm planning a dresser scarf to brighten up the spot.  I have a box of quilt blocks that I made a couple of years ago and never put together.  My plan is to sew a few of them together for the scarf, quilt it and crochet an edging around it using the green or pink thread (or both).  Oh, and the gold mirror behind the thread?...it's about to get a paint job to blend in with my new bedroom color theme.

Now, here's where I need some help from my friends.  I'm trying to decide which picture to hang above the love seat in our bedroom.  Here are my choices sitting on the love seat:


Picture #1 (a Home Interior picture with a re-painted frame)

Picture #2 (another Home Interior print in a thrifted frame)

Picture #3
I fell in love with this picture when I saw it across the store. Well, I thought it was a picture, but found out it was a puzzle when I got closer. I bought it anyway. Not only was it beautiful, but it was on clearance.  I got it for 20 cents!  There is no writing at all on the box and it will be the exact size as the black frame (above) when cut out.  So if I use this one I will put it in that frame.  I'm not sure if I would paint the frame or leave it black for a "statement" piece.  I haven't opened the box yet so the plastic is making a glare in the pictures. I'm saving the actual puzzle for later.  I plan to spread it out as a bribe reward for me for all my finished projects. :)

So here are my three choices.  Remember I live in the house with three guys, so all feminine opinions are needed and appreciated. :)

Post linked to: Show and Tell Friday